Safety landing device for airplanes



Nov. 22, 1938.

Z. E. KEOUGH SAFETY LANDING DEVICE FOR AIRPLANES Filed May 12, 1937 4Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 22, 193s. Z E KEOUGH 2,137,672

-` SAFETY LANDING DEVICE FOR AIRPLANES Filed May 12, 1957 -4sheets-sheet 2 Nov.\22, 1938. z. E. KEoUGH SAFETY LANDING DEVICE FORAIRPLANES Filed May 12, 1957 4 sheets-sheet :s

Nov. 22,1938. z. E. KEUGH 2,137,672

SAFETY LANDING DEVICE FOR AIRPLANES Filed May l2, l957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4l t 3mm (1%33 Z.,ZZ.Ho@7v Patented Niv. 22,1938 2,137,672

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE f 2,137,672 SAFETY LANDING- DEvIcE FonAmPLANEs mlm-nn E. xeougn, Mansfield, ohio Application May 12, 1937,Serial No. 142,266

s claims. (ci. 244-139) This invention embodies a landing device de-These landing devices are indicated generally signed for use onairplanes, dirigibles or the like, by the reference character 6, andsince the conthe primary object of the invention being to prostructionsof the landing devices are identical, vide means controlled by the pilotof the machine, only one of the landing devices will be described forretarding the downward movement oi a disin detail. As shown, the landingdevices which 5 abled aircraft, insuring a safe landing for the aremountedat the forward ledges of the wings occupants or passengers of theaircraft. of the airplane, are secured to the airplane by An importantobject of the invention is the promeans of the straps l, which embraceportions vimon of a device of this character which may be of the tubularhousings of the landing devices,

19 readily and easily operated by the pilot of the as clearly shown byFigure 1 of the drawings. '1o

aircraft, the operadon of the device being con- Secured to the upper endof each tubular trollen hy a lever arranged in close proximity tohousing 5, 1S an enlarged Casing indicated by the the pllots seat.reference character t, the upper edge thereof be- Another object of theinvention is to provide ing open and dared, to receive the parachute, toa pluralityof parachutes, mounted on the airbe hereinafter-more fullydescribed, when the 15 craft in such a way that they will operate freelyparachute is in its inactive position. and will move to their active orsupporting posi- The inner portion of the casing t, extends u tions withthe um amount oi resistance, Wardly, and is formed with a recess toreceive insuring the .operation oi the device under ahthe ball hearingst, there being provided a disk 2o normal air conditions. 'lll threadedon the upwardly extended portion of 20 'With the foregoing and otherobjects in' vievv, the casing E, securing the ball bearings in place.which will appear as the description proceeds, the Rollers kindicated bythe reference character l l invention resides in the combination and aruare mounted on the disk, and aiiord means for rangement of parts and inthe details oi cornI guiding the emble members l2, which connectstruction hereinafter described and claimed, it With the iahricloi theparachute, into the proheine understood that changes in the preciseeinlectin@ tuhe indicated hy the reference character hardiment oi theinvention herein described, may t3.

he roede within the scopeoi' what ls claimed, This projecting tube,operates through the mail Without departing from the spirit ci thelnvenbearings t, es Cleerlt" Shown by Figur@ 3 0f the tion, drawings,and is of a length to entend an apn to the drawings: preciaole distancealcove.` the tubular housing, in

e l. is a perspective view oi" an airplane which it operates. Elongatedopenings are ned with landing devices, constructed in formed in theinoltle tubs 53, S@ the@ im com :lance the invention. flemme member lll,may entend into the pron We 2 is e View illustrating a plurality'orletting tute, t the upward end of the project- 35 3g devices aspositioned @u an mug-3,99 ownfjl lili tube, is a, Curl/Gd disk-likeClOWl plate ill treating the relative positions o the irmed with abeveled edge to the will devi extremity of the casing d, and insure aclose fit hetvt'een the crown plate and casing Ahoy/e the crown plate,is a cover plate, indicated hy 'the lo reference character lo, the crownplate the cover plate Yoeing" so constructed th they se ciu'eiy clampthe iahric oi the parachute il longwdmag @Qimmy View therebetween,securing the fabric the pro fte, illustrating t iecting tuhe, 45

"the iienihle members @El connect with member or cable "which dorm--into the tubular housing, and passes laterally through an opening in'the tubular housing, over the pulley from where it is wound on the drumThe imm lll is operated by means of the lever il supplied with pawloperating over the ratchet secured. one end of the inasmuch as 'here areseveral landing devices used on an airplane, and in the present showingthree have been illustrated, it might be stated that cablescorresponding to the cable I8 in Figure 3 of the drawings, and whichcontrol the operation of the various parachutes, extend through thecentral tubular housing, and are also wound on the drum, to the end thatthe parachutes of all of the landing devices are operatedsimultaneously.

The reference character 24', designates a brake of the friction bandtype, Which is operated by means of the lever 25, for holding the drumagainst reverse movement, While the lever 2i is being operated to windthe flexible members or cables on the drum. When it is desired torelease the parachutes, this may be accomplished by releasing the lever2|, and gradually decreasing the pressure on the brake 24, allowing theparachute to be extended. It will also be seen that due to thisconstruction, the opening of the parachute While it is positive, may bereadily controlled to the end that they may open gradually, relievingthe ship and its occupants of severe strain, caused` by the shipjarring.

At the lower end of the projecting tube I3, is a collar indicated by thereference character 26, which collar is provided with pairs of spacedears between which the rollers 21 are mounted, the rollers being of thegrooved type, and positioned to operate over the tracks 28 that aresecured to the inner surface of the housing. 'I'his construction insuresa true vertical movement of the projecting tubes at all times,preventing binding to retard movement of the projecting tube.

Cables indicated by the reference character 29, are connected withthe`collar 26, at 30, and pass over the pulleys 3| mounted in openingsformed in the housing 8, near the upper end thereof. These cables extendthrough streamline housings arranged longitudinally of the` housing 6,and indicated by the reference character 32, so that the cables 29 arecompletely housed at all times and protected against the elements.

Pairs of pulleys indicated at 33 are mounted are secured within thetubular housing, and extend inwardly to contact with the weight 34,holding the weight. in perfect balance within the tubular housing. Y K

The draw bar 35 is operated by means of the lever 38, which hasconnection therewith, and

is disposed in proximity to the pilots seat, so that the pilot will haveeasy access thereto.y A latch member indicated by the referencecharacter 39, extends into the tubular housing, and is adapted to engageunder one of the rollers 21, to hold the projecting tube and itsparachute in their extended positions. The operator may by pulling thelatch member 39, release the projecting tube so that it may be returnedto its normal inactive position within the tubular hous- In the presentshowing, three landing devices have been used, a central landing device,and a right and left landing device. The central landing device isequipped with pivoted bars 40 that extend inwardly from the wall of thetubular housing, the members 40 normally lying in the path of travel ofthe weight 34.

Connected with the pivoted members 49, are connecting links 4I that havepivotal connection with the levers 42 that are mounted on'the frame ofthe airship. These levers 42 have pivotal connection with the draw bars35 of the right and left landing devices. It follows that when theweight 34 of the central landing device, has been operated to releasethe projecting tube and parachute, the weight 34 will pass downwardlycontacting with the pivoted members 40, moving the pivoted members 4I tooperate the levers 42 and consequently operate the draw bars 35releasing the weights 34 Within the right and left landing devices ofthe assembly.

A windlass indicated by the reference character 43 is supported on eachtubular housing, at a point near the normal position of the weight 34,mounted therein. A cable indicated by the reference character 44,operates over the windlass, and extends through an opening in one wall.of the tubular housing, where it operates over the pulley 46, fromwhere-it connects with the weight.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when it is desired to return theparachutes to their inactive or folded positions, each cable. 44 may beoperated or wound on its windlass, moving the weight to its dotted lineposition, as shown by Figure 3. It might be Afurther stated that eachtubular housing is supplied with a windlass of this character foroperating the weight thereof.`

As shown by Figure 3 of the drawings, a pivoted latch 41 is carried atthe upper end of the lever 2I, and is adapted to be movedV over the pin48 of the lever 49, so that the lever 49 may be held to disengage thepaWl 22 and ratchet 23, so that the drum 20 will be free to rotate andrelease the cable I9, when the weights 34 have been operated to projectthe tubes I3.

In addition to the straps 1 for securing the landing devices to thewings ofthe airplane, collars indicated by the reference character 41',are provided at4 the ends of the tubular housings, to which collarsbrace rods 48 are connected, The brace rods 43` extend to the band 49which is secured to the body portion of the airship, at a point near therear end thereof.

Brace rods 50 also connect with the collars 41, and are secured near theforward portion of the body of the airplane, further bracing the landingdevices against lateral movement under wind pressure. i

'I'he operation of the device is as follows: Assuming that theparachutes are in their closed positions, or in positions as shown byFigure 4 of the drawings, and it is desired to release the parachutes toretard the downward movement of the airplane, in case of an emergency.'I'he operator pulls the lever 38, releasing the Weight 34 in thecentral landing device. The weight 34 will now fall downwardly throughthe bottom of the tubular housing, and assume a position as shown byFigure 2 of the drawings. With the downward movement of the weight, thepivoted members 49 are operated to move the links 4I and levers 42 withthe result that the draw bars in the lateral landing devices, areoperated in a manner as described, releasing the weights in the lateralllanding devices. y

It will be obvious that as the weights move to their active positions asshown by Figure 2 ofthe drawings, the projecting tubes are extendedabove the upper ends of the tubular housings, and the parachutes open topositions as shown by Figure 2.

Should it be desired to decrease the diameters of the parachutes, it isonly necessary to hold the drum 2D against movement, while the lever 2|is operated to a position where it may be moved to wind the 'exiblemember or cable thereon. In this way the operator will have completecontrol over the parachutes, and may increase or'diminish the sizesthereof for complete control of the landing devices.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A safety landing device for aircraft, comprising a tubular housingadapted to be mounted on' an aircraft, a projecting tube slidablymounted within the housing, a parachute, means for securing theparachute at the outer end of the projecting tube whereby movement ofthe projecting tube to its extended position operates to release theparachute to the action of the air,

a weight normally held suspended withinv the tubular housing, cablesconnecting the weight to the projecting tube, and manually controlledmeans for releasing the weight to move the projecting tube to itsextended position.

2. A safety landing device for aircraft, comprising a tubular housingadapted to be secured to an aircraft, a projecting tube slidably mountedin the housing, a parachute mounted-in the upper end of the projectingtube, a weight within the housing, cables connected with the weight andextending toa point adjacent to the upper end of the housing, saidcables being connected with the lower end of the projecting tube wherebythe tube will be extended from the housing when the weight is released,manually controlled means for releasing the weight and said parachuteadapted to be released when the projecting tube moves to its extendedposition.

3. A safety landing device for aircraft, comprising housings adapted tobe secured to an aircraft, a projecting tube slidably mounted within.

each housing, parachutes, means for securing the projecting tubes to thecentral portions of the parachutes, cables connected with the parachutesand extending through the upperends` of the housings, a drum on whichthe cables are wound,

means for operating' the drum controlling the opening and closing actionof the vparachutes simultaneously, and weight-controlled means for yextending the'projecting tubes and parachutes to their active position-4'. A safety landing device for aircraft, comprising a centraltubularhousing and lateral tubular housings, a projecting tube slidably mountedin each housing, a parachute mounted at the upper end of each projectingtube, weight controlled means for extending the projecting tubes andparachutes to their extended positions, manually controlled means foroperating the weight controlled means in the central tubular houslng,and means controlled by the weight controlled means of the centraltubular housing for releasing the weights of the lateral housingsextending the projecting tubes and parachutes thereof, f

5. A safety landing device foraircraft com- .prising a tubular housingsecured to an aircraft and said housing having an enlarged upper endportion, a projecting tube slidably mounted with- `in the housing, acrown plate and cover plate secured to the projecting tube tomovertherewith,

-a fabric materialsecured between the crown plate and the cover plateproviding a parachute, said crown plate fitting Yagainst the lower sideof the fabric material and being of a diameter to t within and form aclosure for the enlarged end of the housing, mechanical means forextending the projecting tube beyond the end of the hous ing whereby theparachute is moved to its active `position, and said cover plate beingof a diameter greater than the crown plate and adapted to close theenlarged end of the housing when the parachute is folded. v

ZACHARIAH E. KEOUGH.

